KOLPIN CLOSES ON PURCHASE OF ATV DIVISION OF CYCLE COUNTRY ACCESSORIES CORP

 KOLPIN CLOSES ON PURCHASE OF ATV DIVISION

OF CYCLE COUNTRY ACCESSORIES CORP

Fox Lake, WI (January 2, 2012) Kolpin Outdoors, Inc. is pleased to announce that as of December 31, 2011 it has closed on the transaction to purchase the ATV Accessories product line from Cycle Country Accessories Corporation, of Spencer, IA.  Kolpin is purchasing only the ATV Accessories product line, and not any other operating entity of Cycle Country, nor its manufacturing operations, real estate, machinery and equipment. Cycle Country will continue to manufacture the ATV Accessories products for Kolpin through March of 2012.

In order to insure a seamless transition and continuity for Cycle Country’s distribution partners, Kolpin has also announced that it will hire certain Cycle Country employees in the sales, customer service and product development/engineering areas and will maintain a physical office and R&D center location in Spencer, IA.

 “We are very pleased to be able to bring Cycle Country into the Kolpin Powersport family of brands,” stated Tom Lutes, President/CEO of Kolpin. “We have spent many years developing the culture, brand, product and distribution strategies that have brought Kolpin to the forefront of the industry. As the new steward of the Cycle Country brand, we fully intend to apply those same principles in projecting it to the next level. Job #1 is to build a strong foundation to ensure we are serving our Powersport distribution and dealer partners in a timely, efficient and quality manner. Once we are confident the foundation is solid and in in place, we will begin driving innovative product development and more aggressive brand marketing at both the trade and consumer level.”

Cycle Country will be managed as an independent product brand under the Kolpin Powersports family and will remain as an exclusive brand of products to the Powersport distribution/dealer channel. Certain elements of the brand activity will be integrated into Kolpin, but dedicated resources for sales, customer service and engineering will be maintained for the Cycle Country brand.

Mike Stone, Executive Vice President of Kolpin was quoted, “We are taking the reins of Cycle Country well into this year’s snow season, thus we will have minimal ability to impact the supply for this season. However, we are hard at work at putting in place a world class supply chain, both domestically and off-shore. Our mantra, in fact our guarantee, is that we will have adequate supply of product on the shelves well before the snow starts flying in the upcoming season. As we speak, our supply chain partners are already tooling up and producing product for the 2012/13 season.”

About Kolpin Outdoors Inc:

Kolpin® Outdoors Inc. is a growth-oriented marketer and manufacturer of innovative ATV accessories and UTV accessories. As The Leader in All-Terrain Innovation, Kolpin sets the standard for quality, innovation and design. Kolpin ATV products and UTV products are designed for recreational ATV and UTV riders, hunters & outdoorsmen, and landowners. Kolpin continues to redefine the industry with patented innovations such as our world-renowned Kolpin ExpansionSystem (KXP), Gun Boot® cases and brackets, Stealth Exhaust, DirtWorks™ System and a large assortment of ATV and UTV accessories. To learn about the latest products, news and topics follow us on www.kolpin.com .  

New XUVs Provide Off-Road Performance, Comfort, and Multi-Passenger Capability

New XUVs Provide Off-Road Performance, Comfort, and Multi-Passenger Capability

John Deere Expands Its Line-Up of Gator™ Crossover Utility Vehicles
(courtesy of www.atvsource.com http://www.atvsource.com/articles/press-releases/2011/112811-john-deere-new-xuvs-provide-off-road-performance-comfort-multi-passenger-capability.htm)

John Deere GatorTM Mid-Duty XUV 550 S4






John Deere GatorTM Mid-Duty XUV 550
CARY, NC — Now it’s easier than ever to conquer tough terrain and bring your buddies and gear along for the ride. The new John Deere GatorTM Mid-Duty XUV 550 and 550 S4 crossover utility vehicles offer off-road performance, improved comfort, cargo versatility, and the ability to transport up to 4 people across the most challenging landscapes.

"These new vehicles provide an unparalleled balance of off-road performance and work capability at a very affordable price," said David Gigandet, tactical marketing manager, Gator utility vehicles. "The new John Deere Gator XUV 550 and 550 S4 are a great compliment to our popular line-up of XUVs, and offer the most comfortable way to get you, your crew, and all your supplies to those hard-to-reach destinations."

With best-in-class, fully independent, double wishbone suspension, the Gator XUV 550 and 550 S4 provide 9-inches of wheel travel, and up to 10.5-inches of ground clearance to smooth out the ride. In addition, for the 550, you can choose from either standard high back bucket seats or bench seats. The 550 S4 comes standard with 2 rows of bench seats.

“Operators will not only appreciate the smooth ride, they’ll love the all new ergonomically designed operator station,” continued Gigandet. “The development of these new Gators started in the operator’s station, so they offer ample leg room, storage and dash mounted, automotive-type, controls.”

The Gator XUV 550 and 550 S4 deliver mid-duty work capability with speed and ease. Both vehicles have a top speed of 28 mph, and 4-wheel drive to quickly traverse all types of terrain. The 16-hp, 570 cc, air-cooled, v-twin gas engine provides greater speed and horsepower than most vehicles in its class, and the cargo box can carry up to 400 lbs of gear. In addition, the 550 is small enough to fit in the bed of a standard pick-up truck.

For a larger crew and cargo versatility, the 550 S4 provides rear seat flexibility.

Two additional passengers can be transported in the rear seat, or if more cargo capacity is needed, the rear seat flips down to become a cargo rack.

“The rear seat flexibility in the Gator XUV 550 S4 is truly innovative,” said Gigandet. “The S4 can transport up to 4 people, but for the times when you need to carry more gear, the back seat can become more useful in seconds and increase your cargo space by 32 percent.”

The new Gator XUV 550 models are available in Realtree Hardwoods™ HD Camo or traditional John Deere green and yellow.

There are also over 75 available attachments and accessories to customize all Gator XUV models, such as, cabs, brush guards, and custom alloy wheels.

In addition to the XUV 550 and 550 S4, John Deere also offers the 625i, 825i and the 855D to round out its full line of crossover utility vehicles.

Visit your local John Deere dealer or www.JohnDeere.com/Gator to learn more.

UTV Sales: Recession Proof?

by Jeff Henson

I just finished up a complete UTV buyer's guide for UTV Off-Road Magazine, and am currently in the middle of putting together a complete off-road motorcycle, ATV and UTV buyer's guide for Digital Dirt Magazine. It's tedious work, gathering up an abbreviated list of the most important specifications for each model, tracking down manufacturer's suggested retail pricing and coming up with sixty to one-hundred words on the key features of each machine.

Frequently, and due to staring at my laptop screen for far too long, I have to take a break in order to make sense of all the different engine displacements, suspension travel numbers and color options. "Oh look," I'll say to myself in absolute delirium, wishing the end was near, "this one also comes in a Ted Nugent, Zebra Stripe Camo Special Edition, with color matched gun scabbards."  The list goes on. It seems like it was just yesterday that there were less than ten UTV models to choose from. Come to think of it - it was yesterday!

My Buyer's Guide includes models from the top UTV manufacturers - Arctic Cat, BRP Can-Am, Honda, John Deere, Kawasaki, Kymco and Polaris, the latter of which has been the most aggressive at bringing new models to the market. Looking at my complete list of now FIFTY-FIVE different UTVs to choose from, Polaris models number thirty. Check it! That's more than all of the other manufacturers combined. There's the Polaris Ranger RZR line-up, which includes the new RZR 900 XP, a $16,000 sand dune dominator that Polaris dealers can't seem to keep on their showroom floors. The same goes for the RZR4 four-seat model and fifty-inch wide trail RZR. The full-size Ranger models have always been popular, available in standard versions or Ranger Crew six-seat models. The latter is even available with a diesel engine. Then there are the value minded mid-sized models available in 400cc and 500cc displacements, and the all-electric Ranger EV.

While Polaris is obviously leading the charge in the UTV market, and doing so with great success, others have caught on and are fighting for market share. Arctic Cat is set to release its new Wildcat 1000i H.O. sport side-by-side, targeted at challenging the Polaris RZR XP 900 with more displacement and suspension travel. John Deere has just released information on its new Gator XUV550 S4, a four-seat UTV, and it looks as if Kawasaki is prepared to announce its own new four-seat UTV, the Teryx4. Can-am continues to press forward with its impressive Commander line-up by utilizing race-bred and adventurous trail options, including a 976cc Rotax EFI V-twin. Can-Am now offers a luxury Commander loaded with Air Control Suspension, FOX Racing piggy back shocks, an onboard air compressor, Garmin Montana 650t touchscreen GPS, a four speaker sound system and everything else you would ever want from a UTV; Sticker price $19,199! That's a lot of 'consumer confidence' right there, but I've actually seen a few of these out on the trail.

These machines are selling! Even beyond UTV dealerships, the affect has created an aftermarket explosion of companies selling products that include billet aluminum dress up kits, roofs and windshields, complete cab enclosures, extra storage, long-travel suspension kits, motor hop up kits... and more. Kolpin has done well with its own line of UTV accessories, which number many.

When the Yamaha Rhino first hit the scene and started the side-by-side craze, most of us inside the power sports media thought the four-wheeled mini-Jeeps were pretty cool, but soon to be just another fad. Boy were we wrong!

UTVs are here to stay; with offerings that will satisfy everyone from the farmers harvesting their crops, to the weekend warriors blazing trails and racing on off-road tracks. The creators of these four-wheeled fun wagons have managed to find growth and competitive satisfaction in an industry that has otherwise fallen a little flat with the times. Once considered a fad, UTVs have spawned new businesses, revitalized others and perhaps even put a small dent in unemployment lines. That's the type of "stimulus" we can all get behind.